


Time To Paint

by rosiespinky (Janyolski)



Category: BLACKPINK (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band), TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-23 20:23:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20014288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janyolski/pseuds/rosiespinky
Summary: Roseanne Park, Son Chaeyoung and Kang Seulgi are three upcoming artists in the Seoul art scene. They rent a two storey apartment with the top floor converted into a studio.They knock back few beers and share a few joints after a long day. They talk about life, art, love, and women.Or as I'd like to call this: Struggling Artist Is A Gay Trope.





	Time To Paint

**Author's Note:**

> Just an idea. The names I dropped are people I know from the Philippine art scene lmao.

It's 2 am on a Wednesday. Most of Seoul slumbered, getting the few hours of rest the busy city allowed before the crazy of the rush hour started and a new day of generating income began. A honk sounded here and there, of the leftover traffic from Tuesday night. Stray cats jumped from one roof to another, scavenging for food.

The moon shone and illuminated it all, washing the asleep and awake in light and chasing the darkness away.

The top window of a two-storey apartment that's tucked cozily between a dying comic book store and an unsanitary 24-hour doughnut shop, remained lit. It was in the sketchier parts of the city but it was the best three upcoming visual artists could afford.

They weren't that known in the scene yet, but they've found a nice little niche of patrons.

The top floor was supposed to be a bedroom but they converted it into an art studio. The building faced east and the wide windows allowed for so much natural light that it was perfect for painting.

If only Rosie, Seulgi and Chaeyoung actually rose up early to paint. Unfortunately, the three of them spent their late nights until the wee hours of the morning awake, preferring to work when the city slept, preferring to create when it was quieter.

Time didn't matter much to them, though, because they had all the time in their line of work to do whatever they wanted. Well, mostly. There were exhibits here and there but gallery openings didn't usually start before 6pm.

Music played in the top floor of the apartment. The soulful sound of Jorja Smith's voice fills the air as the video of his tiny desk concert on Youtube plays in the background. Tubes of paint - new and old, opened and unopened, some even stepped on - scattered across the floor. Canvases - works that were abandoned, in progress, and completed, forgotten - lined the walls, some stacked neatly, some haphazardly and arbitrarily left lying around.

It was beautiful, contained chaos - the kind of environment borne out of the hunger and need to create, out of youth and creative frenzy.

Roseanne Chaeyoung Park hums along to the song, knowing the words, having listened to it on repeat for a day. It's her inspiration for her latest work. She dips a worn out paint brush in rich cobalt blue, watching the thick oil paint coat the bristles. She raises her hand and carefully touches the brush tip to the canvas before starting to paint in big, long strokes. Her movements are both carefree and controlled, her mind both lost in her work and living in it.

Rosie was in her own little world, untouched by the rest.

It's 2am on a Wednesday. Most of Seoul is asleep. Kang Seulgi stretches her arms over her head and yawns. It's been a long day. She looks at Rosie to her right who was busy going all out on her 45ft canvas, staining and smearing paint on it like a madwoman. She turns to Son Chaeyoung to her left who was the complete opposite, eyes unfocused and staring at her palette, mixing cherry red and white to create a pink with lazy circles of her brush, looking even more tired than she felt.

Seulgi laughs.

“Chaeng, you look dead on your feet.”

Chaeyoung snorts.

“That curator is such a bitch. Who the hell gives a two week deadline for such a big show?”

Seulgi shrugs.

“It’s not like this is the first time Fabrianne did us dirty, Chaeng.” Seulgi rolls her shoulders and cracks her neck. “At least she’s really good at selling our art to the young bourgeoisie.”

Their clientele and patrons were mostly kids who came from new money - sons and daughters of tech moguls or CEOs of startups. The old rich had sticks too far up their asses to appreciate their art styles - those people whose appreciation of art stopped at 200 year old paintings and the benefits of buying and selling them tax-free.

Chaeyoung groans and puts her palette and brush down.

“Okay, I’ve reached my limit. I can’t paint anymore.”

“Same here.” Seulgi sighs.

They both look to Rosie who was still wailing on the canvas, almost as if she was a boxer and the canvas was her punching bag.

“Look at her go.” Chaeyoung nods towards Rosie.

“Goddamn, isn’t she tired, yet?” Seulgi runs a hand through her hair.

“Hey, Rosie!” Chaeyoung yells across the room.

Rosie doesn’t hear her, so Chaeyoung tries again,

“Ah?” Rosie turns to her with a monosyllabic response.

“Aren’t you tired, yet?”

Rosie shrugs.

“It’s not going to paint itself.”

“Chaeyoung and I are going to take a break, maybe have beers and smoke up.” Seulgi interjects. “Do you wanna join us?”

“We are?” Chaeyoung looks at Seulgi, surprised at the brand new information.

“Okay!” Rosie screams back. “I’ll put this down in a minute!”

“Good!” Seulgi answers. She turns to Chaeyoung and winks. “Now we are.”

* * *

Rosie licks her lips, carefully tucking in the leaves into the rolling paper, making sure not to make the joint too tight or too loose but just right - just the way she likes it.

They moved from inside the studio to their small balcony outside, where the space was comfortable enough for three people.

Rosie is seated on a fluffy rug on the floor with her legs crossed and her feet tucked underneath her. Her brows are knitted in concentration and she wears a pout on her lips. She has her blonde hair in a braid but they seemed determined to come apart and come loose.

Just like the canna leaves she was rolling.

She groans. It's been a long day and she was just trying to relax but she can't seem to roll the joint the specific way she wants to and it annoys her.

Seulgi is laying on an old and worn bean bag across her, watching her. She was smirking and amused.

"Rosie." Seulgi snorts, calling her attention.

"Hmm?" Rosie doesn't even look up.

"You've been at that for 30 minutes, baby. Just roll it so we can smoke it up." Seulgi chuckles.

"No, I like it perfect." Rosie whines. "Besides, it's just been 5 minutes. You exaggerate, Seul."

“The point is,” Seulgi sighs, like Rosie is being such a pain, “just roll it so we can smoke it.”

Chaeyoung comes back from the small kitchenette of the studio. They use it mostly to wash brushes and palettes, used mugs and utensils when they have takeout or delivery during painting frenzies when their schedules are packed with back to back exhibit. She’s carrying three beer bottles in one hand and a bucket (which the three of them accidentally stole one drunken night from a pub) containing six beers in ice in the other.

She sets the beer bucket on the low table and hands out the other two to her friends and partners. She settles down between them on a little throw pillow.

“The most delicious craft beers in town.” Chaeyoung exclaims, pulling the small swiss knife she always had in her pocket. She pops open her own bottle.

“Courtesy of Joy.” Chaeyoung takes a long swig and exhales exaggeratedly, like she was in a Coca-cola commercial.

“Which means this is thanks to Rosie.” She tips her bottle towards said friend and smirks then sets the swiss knife on the table so her two other friends can open their own.

Rosie licks the rolling paper and rolls it closed. She runs her fingers through the length of the joint, making sure that it's just right. Then she twists the end of it as she rolls her eyes at Chaeyoung.

Seulgi laughs. She grabs the swiss knife and uses the bottle opener. There’s a popping sound and a hiss, and Seulgi knocks back her beer. The cold beverage hits her throat and there is nothing more perfect after a long day of work.

She wipes off her mouth.

“Thank you, Rosie.” Seulgi winks.

Rosie holds up the joint and places it between her lips. She feels her jean pockets for her lighter and finds it in her back pocket. She holds the lighter in front of the joint and flicks the sparkwheel, setting the twisted end in fire and burning it.

Rosie huffs and puffs a few times to get the joint’s body to light up. And when it does, she takes a long drag, breathing in the smoke and carrying it to her lungs.

She holds her breath, lets the hazy fog stew in her body, then exhales it with a smile.

It was a particularly good batch from a particularly good strain. Rosie could feel her edges already blurring a bit, her muscles unknotting themselves and starting to relax.

Girl Scout Cookies never tasted so good.

Chaeyoung reaches out for the joint and Rosie gives it to her.

"Well, if we're thanking me for the beer, might as well thank Seulgi for the free weed." Rosie leans towards Chaeyoung. "Sleeping with the weed dealer and taking one for the team."

Chaeyoung laughs. Seulgi snorts.

"She also fucked the weed dealer's girlfriend. The true fuckboy that you are, Kang Seulgi." Chaeyoung holds up her beer for a toast and Rosie clinks hers. They crack up laughing.

Seulgi throws her beer bottle cap at Chaeyoung who dodges it. The two Chaeyoungs laugh louder.

"Shut up, Chaeng. Like you aren't a big fuckboy yourself." Seulgi huffs.

"Yeah, but fucking Weed Dealer Wendy and her girlfriend Irene is something, Seul. You have to admit." Rosie points out.

Chaeyoung smirks. She holds the end of the joint with the makeshift filter between her lips and lights it up. She takes an equally long drag, as if competing with Rosie. The orange of the fire eats up the length of the joint slowly.

Chaeyoung 

Seulgi rolls her eyes.

"Says you, Ms. Roseanne 'been-sleeping-with-my-bff-Lisa-for7-years' Park."

It was Rosie's turn to fling a bottle cap at Seulgi.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Chaeyoung holds up her hands. "Let's not do that lest we blind one of us, gays. In case you forgot, we need our eyes to paint."

Seulgi winks at Rosie whose lips quirk up in amusement.

"Okay, if you think about it, we're all just different shades of the same gay fuckboy rainbow." Rosie admits.

Seulgi and Chaeyoung nod.

"Hear hear." 

Chaeyoung passes the joint to Seulgi who gratefully accepts it. She lights it up, takes a long drag, and blows the smoke out it o's.

"Show off." Rosie teases as she takes a swig from her beer.

Seulgi grins.

"You're just mad I can do it better than you."

Rosie huffs, insulted and indignant.

"In your dreams, Kang. I'll have you know mine are the best. I can make perfect o's, big ones, small ones - you name it."

Seulgi bursts out laughing. She turns to Chaeyoung

"Jesus fucking christ, how does Lisa put up with her?"

Rosie puts her hands on her hips.

"Excuse me?!"

Chaeyoung shrugs and takes a sip of her beer.

"She gives Lisa pussy whenever Lisa asks so I guess that's it."

Seulgi cackles like a madwoman. Rosie picks up an ice cube and hurls it at Chaeyoung.

"I thought you were on my side?!"

Chaeyoung laughs.

"I'm a free spirit."

"Is that why you can't choose between Sana, Momo, Tzuyu, Nayeon, and Mina?" Rosie bites.

Chaeyoung knocks her beer back and finishes it. She winks at Rosie.

"Exactly."

Seulgi barks out laughter again, rolling around on the beanbag.

"See, Park, if you embrace the inner hoe, you live a happy, easy life."

"Nah, she's too in love with Lisa." Chaeyoung suggests, popping open another bottle. "She literally can't live without Lisa.

Rosie puts hands over her hears and groans. She falls back with a thud and looks up at the stars.

"Geez, I thought we were doing this to relax. You're both stressing me out."

Chaeyoung laughs.

"Chill, Rosie." She offers the joint again. "Here."

Rosie takes it and smokes.

The night bleeds into morning. They finish their first bottles and then their two bottles of beers each from the bucket. Chaeyoung grabs another bucket of six, Seulgi rolls another joint because Rosie takes too long, according to her, and their conversation continues.

They talk about life.

_ "Dude, it sucks being 24." _

_ The two Chaeyoungs snort. _

_ "Life just sucks, period." _

_ "Hear hear." _

They talk about the art scene.

_ "That Olivia is such a pretentious fucking bitch." _

_ "Right?! She thinks she's doing art but that shit isn't art." _

_ "Her 'art' looks like a grade schooler's submission to the school art fair." _

_ "Ouch. But, tea." _

They talk about the art they're doing.

_ "I wanna do, like, a marble effect for the background of one of the smaller paintings." _

_ "Oh, that would look awesome. What medium are you using?" _

_ "Acrylics." _

_ "Won't that dry too quick? Don't you wanna use oils so you have time to fix it in case you make a mistake?" _

_ "Yeah, oils would probably be better but I think I won't have enough after I'm done with the 45ft canvas." _

_ "That's okay, you can have some of mine." _

_ "Really? You're the best!" _

They talk about girls.

_ "Joy is really hot. Tell me the truth, did you two sleep together?" _

_ Rosie blushes. _

_ "Holy shit, you totally did!" _

_ "Shut up." _

_ "So how does sleeping with someone who isn't Lisa feel like?" _

_ "I'm not talking about this.... But yeah, she's really hot." _

_ "Holy shit, Park!" _

They talk about love.

_ "When am I gonna find love?" _

_ "When you stop being a whore, maybe." _

_ "Touché." _

And they get drunker.

_ "Shit. I can't open this bottle." _

_ "You're fucking drunk." _

_ "Stop laughing at me and just help me." _

And they get really stoned.

_ "Shit. Why can't I see anything?" _

_ "That's because your eyes are closed." _

_ "Oh." _

_ "What if, when we run out of water we just put ice in our glasses? Because ice is frozen water. Get it?" _

_ "Babe." _

_ "Aren't people supposed to be enlightened when they're stoned? We're just like…. Dumb." _

And suddenly it's 4:30 am and they've lost count of the bottles of beer and rolled joints.

Rosie's stomach grumbles.

"Chaeng, Seul, I'm hungryyy." Rosie whines, drawing out the last syllable.

"Youuu always hungry, Rosie, what's neww?" Seulgi dismisses her, words slow.

"But I'm also munchies sho itsh worse." Rosie whines some more.

Chaeyoung laughs, low and throaty.

"I think... we j'sss finish'd all the food downst'rrss. We sh'ld order pizzzz-uh." She slurs her words, too.

At this point, they were all talking like snails and turtles and sloths, too high and drunk and relaxed.

"Nuh, I want Phoooo and Springg rooollsss." Rosie pouts.

"Babe, whurr the hell'r we getting that?" Seulgi groans.

"The only 24 hour deliveryy nearby is pizz-uh or McDonald's. Get y'rr pho fix tomorruh." Chaeyoung pulls out her phone, about to dial for pizza delivery.

"No, dunn order pizza." It was as if Rosie was reading her mind. The starving girl reaches her own phone. "I'll call Lis-ah. She knows a pho place."

Seulgi and Chaeyoung share a look.

"Lisa's prolly asleep. There's no way she's makingg a pho ruunn then going aall the way hurr to deliver it to yoo whiny aasss."

Rosie is already texting Lisa, however. She struggles a little to spell out the words but she manages to send a coherent enough text. She presses send. She holds up the phone and proudly waves it to everyone.

"There. Texted 'err."

And to Chaeyoung and Seulgi's surprise, Lisa shows up 30 minutes later with 4 orders of pho and shrimp spring rolls. She was wearing a baseball cap and a hoodie two sizes bigger than her and chunky sneakers. She looked like she'd been unceremoniously roused from sleep by a whiny, hungry toddler.

And she was.

Rosie throws her arms around Lisa, almost making her drop the food.

"Oof." Lisa grunts.

"Lisss-ah. My hero." Rosie plants a big noisy kiss on her cheek.

Lisa chuckles.

"You're welcome, Rosie." She turns to Seulgi and Chaeyoung. "Hey guys."

"Hey." They greet back in unison.

Chaeyoung leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees, upper body heavy from intoxication.

"Holy shit, Lisa." She blows a breath. "We didn't think you'd actually go all the way here."

"Well."

Lisa attempts a shrug, but Rosie clings onto her like a Koala. She manages to set the food down and settle herself beside her best friend. Rosie maintains her arms around Lisa's neck which she smiles happily about.

"Damn, you really would do everything for her." Seulgi says, the haze lifted up for a bit by wonder and astonishment. "Literally whatever she says."

Lisa chuckles.

"Yes, 'cauzz she loves meee." Rosie mumbles against her hoodie, nuzzling it.

Lisa smiles and scrunches her nose.

"Yeah, I guess that's the reason."

"Hmm." Rosie smiles, eyes closed and drifting off to sleep. "Knew it."

There is silence for a moment. It's broken when Seulgii speaks.

"Damn. I want someone to warm my bed tonight, too. Rosie's got Lisa now." She pulls out her phone and starts tapping.

Lisa snorts. Chaeyoung raises an eyebrow. Rosie is out of it.

"Who are you texting?" Chaeyoung asks. "Weed dealer Wendy or her girlfriend Irene?"

Seulgi smirks.

"Neither." She holds up her phone and waves it proudly. "I'm texting Sunmi."

Lisa gives Seulgi a mock salute and Chaeyoung just shakes her head.

"Fuckboy."

* * *

Chaeyoung gets up first a few hours later. After Lisa got there and they ate their pho, they spent 30 more minutes talking and letting the food settle in their stomachs. Then they all decided to turn in.

She didn't see Sunmi get to the apartment but judging by the extra pair of shoes in front of Seulgi's room, she thinks that Sunmi arrived sometime during the early morning.

Chaeyoung just smiles into her coffee at the sight. She also knows Lisa and Rosie didn't sleep right away. Their apartment wasn't expensive and the walls were very thin. She had to wear headphones and listen to music to sleep.

On the plus side, she's glad Rosie has someone like Lisa, even if they wouldn't admit their feelings to each other yet.

She checks the wall clock hanging at their kitchen. It's 9:45 am. The sun was still shining bright and the light was perfect. She bounds up the stairs, barefoot to their art studio.

Seems like the perfect time to paint.

**Author's Note:**

> If you loved the story, consider buying me a cup of coffee through ko-fi.com/chaelisaff


End file.
